Securasound Ltd

Health and safety

It is our policy to provide and maintain safe and healthy conditions, equipment and safe systems of work for all our staff and to provide such information, training and supervision as they need for this purpose.  We are also responsible for the health and safety of other people who may be affected by our activities.

The allocation of duties for safety matters and the particular arrangements which we make to implement the policy are set out within this document.

This policy will be kept up to date and to ensure this, the policy and the way in which it is operated will be reviewed annually during the month of September.

Section A: Responsibilities

The overall and final responsibility for Health and Safety matters is withMr  P A J Wainwright, Managing Director.

In his absence Mr J P Wainwright, General Manager is responsible for the implementation of the policy with regard to installation contracts.

All employees have the responsibility to co-operate with the managers and supervisors to achieve a healthy and safe work place and to take reasonable care of themselves and others.

Whenever anyone notices a health and safety problem, which they are not able to solve, they must immediately bring it to the attention of one of the persons named above, or their immediate supervisor.  When engaged with site work it is the responsibility of the operative to report to their site supervisor and/or Mr  P A J Wainwright.

Detailed individual responsibilities are contained in the training manual.

Section B:  General Arrangements

Accidents 

All operatives will have a basic first aid kit in their vehicle.

Hard hats, safety shoes and eye protection glasses are issued to our operatives for their use.

There have been no reported site accidents involving company employees since we commenced business.

No improvement/prohibition notices have been received, no prosecutions have been brought.

It is the responsibility of all Securasound site employees and our sub contractors to report all accidents of whatever level to their site supervisor or Mr P A J Wainwright.

Where site attendance will be for a very short period i.e. 1-14 days and staffing levels are between 1-5, we will expect the principal contractor to provide the necessary qualified first aiders.  For larger contracts a person will be duly appointed as our safety officer, reporting to the principal contractor, responsible for our employees.

Training

All employees/sub contractors of Securasound will be advised of the company’s safety policy and be given training relevant to their jobs as necessary.

This training will encompass both site safety and basic first aid procedures.

A competent member of staff and/or a professional body such as the British Red Cross will give this training.

Safe Systems of Work

All operatives will be given training with regard to the company safety procedures, risk assessments and method statements as noted within this document.

We will expect the principal contractor or client’s representative to give induction training to our operatives in accordance with the H & S regulations that exist on the site.

Sub Contractors

The Health and Safety record of all sub contractors with whom we place orders will be assessed by Mr P A J Wainwright.

This assessment will be carried out periodically by way of an audit of sub contractor’s records and site visits to ensure procedures are being carried out. 

Electrical Equipment

As detailed in ‘The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989’ the company must ensure that all electrical tools are safe for use and that no abuse or unauthorised use of this installation/equipment is made.

It is the responsibility of the user to visually check any equipment prior to use.  This will be backed up by inspection periodically by a suitably qualified person, in accordance with the regulations and HSE publications., ‘Maintaining Portable and Transportable Electrical Equipment’, ‘Electrical Safety on Construction Sites’.  In addition, any access control equipment installed by the company will comply with relevant electrical safety regulations. 

Other Equipment

It is the responsibility of the user to visually check any tools/equipment that they use.  Any concerns are to be reported to their supervisor for action. 

METHOD STATEMENT

The company will make all reasonable efforts to determine applicability of C.D.M and its role to comply with such requirements, though we are never the principle contractor as such the C.D.M Coordinator will be the responsibility of and appointed by others.

All sub contractors employed by the company are to satisfy the company’s selection criteria all co-operate in the implementation of its policy and that of its employer.

Safe systems of work will be established using job safety analysis techniques, accordingly the following five basic steps will be taken: 

• Assessment of the task
• Identification of the hazards and risk assessment (Site/Job Specific form)
• Identification of the safe methods to carry out the task
• Implementation of the safe method
• Monitoring the procedure

Using this systematic approach, safe systems can be more easily identified and the hazards eliminated or minimised.

The nature of the company’s installation work is repetitive and as such the following generalised statements will apply in most cases.  Where any deviation is expected, or in the case of major contracts, further method statements will be issued as necessary following post order placement meetings. 

General Method Statement

 Installation of mechanical and electronic access control, CCTV and associated hardware and AV Systems.

1. Fixing control equipment, drill, plug and screw to wall/frames. 
2. Run cables by:
   1. Use of wires installed in conduits (provided by others)
   2. Clipping to walls using staple gun or masonry clips
   3. Using mini trunking, fixed by staple gun or screws
   4. Using cable trays
   5. Using cable ties to existing structures
   6. Way of suspended ceilings or under raised floors
3. Fixing locking devices, preparation of relevant mortices in doors/frames.
4. Connection to unswitched fused spurs, provided by others.
5. Connection to fire alarm relays, provided by others.
6. Connection to control equipment.
7. Interface of access control, CCTV and other related equipment.
8. Carry out full functional test of all connected equipment.
9. Commissioning and hand over of the system.
10. Provide training to clients appointed staff.

Risk Assessment

The majority of risks involved in the assessment, by nature of the repetition of jobs will be well known to us, a quantitative assessment based on this knowledge may therefore be produced.  In the case of unfamiliar jobs, a quantitative assessment will be made based on personal judgement backed up by any data that may be available on the risk.  This being undertaken by suitably qualified persons. 

Key Risks associated with the work defined in the ‘General Method Statement’

1. Injury to operative from use of hand/portable tools.
2. Specific areas of concern:
   1. Injury to third party due to trailing cables, obstruction of doors, hidden mains cables and/or other services pipe work.
   2. Staples flying out of gun, not bedding into wall, particles becoming airborne when fixing to wall, also as in 2.1 above.
   3. As 2.1 and 2.2 above.
   4. Sharp edges of trays, also as 2.1 above.
   5. Care in what is being fixed to, also as in 2.1 above.
3. Injury to operative and/or third party due to flying debris from morticing work.  Damage to the surrounding area. Obstruction of fire escape routes.
4. Electrocution.
5. Life safety of building users.
6. Access and egress through doors as design criteria.

 Persons considered at risk: Operatives, building occupiers, staff and all building visitors. 

Control Measures Proposed

1. Good use of personal protection equipment (safety glasses) etc.  Use of 110v or personal protection equipment.
2. Exercise good cable management, post warning signs when necessary.  Use of personal protection equipment.
3. Post warning signs/cordon off work area when necessary.  Use of dustsheets to protect surrounding area.  Keep fire escapes clear at all times.  If not possible, arrange for alternative route to be provided.
4. Check unswitched fused spurs (provided by others) prior to making any connections.  Ensure live and neutral connected correctly and whether spur is live.  Always assume it is live and obtain any certification from resident/site electrical engineer.
5. Advise principal contractor of our load requirements for fire alarm relays, so that this information is passed on to the installers.  Check the relay opens on activation of alarm, this being carried out in conjunction with the fire alarm installers.
6. Test that all locking devices, break glass points, sounder and any other hardware functions according to the specification for the contract and the equipment data sheets.
7. Ensure that all equipment is correctly installed prior to final connection, obtain any tests certification and approval for equipment installed by others.
8. Test in accordance with method statement for equipment being installed.
9. Each piece of equipment to be activated and shown to work in accordance with the specification.
10. Ensure client has been trained in the use of the system and is especially aware of any life safety issues.

 Refer to training manual for further details.

C.O.S.H.H. ASSESSMENTS

All suppliers will be asked to supply any necessary C.O.S.H.H. assessment applicable to their product.

Generally no such product is used, however where they are, all necessary documentation in accordance with ‘The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002’ (COSHH) (as amended) will be made available prior to the commencement of any work and as advised in the training manuals.

This will also be reflected in the Risk Assessment for the specific job.